Hunter: John Scott
Points: 10 (5L, 5R)
County: Carroll
Season: 2023-2024
Hunt Story
I had gotten some good cam pics from the previous week, so when the cold front came through Tuesday, I got off work early Wednesday, grabbed my gear and got in my stand about 4:30. I didn't see anything Wednesday evening but heard a deer coming in at dark and it held up behind me and never came out. Disappointed, I climbed down and left, but vowed to return Thursday. I got to the stand again about 4:30. Saw nothing til 6:00 PM, a doe sneaking by on a ridge above my stand. She disappeared in thick planted pines behind me. About 6:45, I heard one coming from behind me and to my right, another doe, or possibly the same one, pops out, feeds a minute, then runs downhill and disappears. I then heard another one coming through the super dry leaves, heading my way from behind. It pops out about the same place as the doe before him, and I immediately recognize him as a 10-pointer from my cam pics. He is postured up and walks straight across the logging road instead of following the doe, to my right, about 80 yards out into the bottom. He stops and shreds a tree for 2-3 minutes, makes a scrape on the ground, then turns left and heads straight up the hill towards me. He stops about 30 yards out, right in front of me. I quickly make another check to verify shooter status, then steady the shaky crosshairs just behind the shoulder and shoot. My 1992 Remington 7600 pump in .270 caliber found the mark and crumpled him in his tracks. Elated, I started my descent from my stand lowering my gun down by rope, started to climb down and 2 steps down the ladder, another big buck runs in, circles around and leaves. I watch him from my ladder, as my gun swings near the ground until he disappears, then go collect my trophy!
